


Birthday Favor

by annaxmims



Series: Tumblr Prompts [30]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Birthday, Getting Together, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annaxmims/pseuds/annaxmims
Summary: Tumblr Prompt:TK meets Carlos' family. Before or after they decide to call each other boyfriend, but after they start acting it for sure.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Tumblr Prompts [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626286
Comments: 4
Kudos: 249





	Birthday Favor

“Mama for the last time, he isn’t my boyfriend,” Carlos huffed. 

He had his phone propped between his shoulder and his cheek as he pulled the bread out of the oven. That was the third time this week his mother has called to rag him about bringing his “new boyfriend” to his birthday dinner at her house.Carlos had reminded her as many times that TK was not his boyfriend.

In all honesty, Carlos wasn’t sure what they were. They hung out, TK called him at night when he couldn’t sleep, and they had amazing sex pretty regularly. They were past the point of being friends, but nothing was official. The last thing he wants is to scare him off again.

“Carlos, humor your mother,” his father called.

“Do you have me on speaker phone?”

“Carlos I expect to see that handsome firefighter on Friday. Boyfriend or not.”

She hung up the phone and Carlos knew better than to argue with her. So he immediately called TK.

“Hey what’s up?” the younger boy answered on the second ring.

“Just got off the phone with my mom. Are you at work?”

“Just got off, why? Do you want me to come over?”

“I definitely want you to come over if you’re free. I made spaghetti, but I actually called because I have a favor to ask you.”

“A fun favor?” Carlos can picture the smirk on TK’s face.

“Not the kind you’re thinking of. My birthday is Friday-”

“I know. I didn’t forget, I promise.”

“I didn’t say you did. Can I finish please?”

“Yeah sorry.”

“Anyway, my birthday is Friday and my mom is having dinner for me at her house. And she expects to see my handsome firefighter boyfriend. I’ve tried correcting her but it’s no use. My mother is not a woman to be argued with and there will be hell to pay if you don’t walk into that house with me on Friday.”

“You want me to come to your birthday dinner with your parents?”

“I know it’s a lot and I can figure something out if you’re not comfortable.”

“No I’m in. I want to meet the only person that Carlos Reyes is scared of. And if your mom’s cooking is half as good as yours, it’s not exactly an inconvenience.”

“Her cooking is a million times better than mine.”

“Then I’ll be happy to go.”

“Okay. I’ll pick you up Friday around twelve?’

“Can’t wait.”

Carlos hung up the phone and fist pumped the air. He sent a quick text to his mom, telling him that he would be there Friday, one TK Strand in tow.

Her only reply was a winking emoji. Carlos was tempted to throw his phone into a wall.

*****

Friday afternoon he pulled up in front of TK’s house just as the younger man was walking out the door. He turned to say something back into the house, Carlos assumed he was saying goodbye to his dad, then jogged down the stairs and hopped into the passenger side of Carlos’ camaro.

He had to stop and admire how good he looked. Not only was Owen Strand a skin care good, but his fashion taste was incredible and apparently he had passed that down to his son.

“Hey, you look good,” Carlos greeted.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” TK smiled at him. The younger man was in one of his good moods which, much to Carlos and everyone else’s joy, were more and more often. “So how far is it to your parents house?”

“It’s right outside San Antonio so a little over an hour.”

“Sounds good.”

TK leaned over to switch the radio to his prefered style of music. Carlos gave him shit about his music taste, which consisted mostly of top 40 pop, but watching TK sing and dance along in the passenger seat was so cute that he endured it.

After about forty five minutes of songs that all sounded the same, Carlos switched the radio station to some soft rock and turned it down to background noise.

“I like this,” TK said.

“I’m surprised, all of your songs sound the same.”

“Hey,” he crossed his arms over his chest petulantly and Carlos couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re so cute,” he said before he could stop himself.

TK just laughed along with him and leaned back against the seat. There was a pause before he spoke again.

“So tell me about your family.”

“There’s a lot of us. I have four younger sisters, I’m one of the few boys in the entire family, and most of them are cousins who are way younger than me.”

“Wow. I used to want a big family, but I kinda like it just me and my dad. It gets quiet sometimes though.”

“There are no quiet moments in my house.”

“How old are your sisters?”   
“Sophia is the oldest, she’s fourteen. Victoria is eleven. And the twins, Mia and Zoe are eight. Don’t worry they’re fraternal so you won’t have trouble telling them apart. Just remember Mia’s hair is curlier and Zoe has a gap between her teeth.”

“Five kids and two of them are twins?”

“Yeah. I think papa almost had a heart attack when he saw the sonogram.”

“Since you were so much older than them you helped out a lot I bet.”

“Yep. I’ve been preparing for dad life since I was fourteen.”

“Are you close with them?”

“Sophia and Victoria a little more than the younger two. I was about to graduate high school when Victoria was born and I was in college when the twins were born. Between you and me they weren’t planned. Mama will deny it but everyone knows. But between college, the police academy, and moving to Austin I wasn’t around much when the twins were little.”

“I always wanted a brother or a sister. It got lonely when my dad was at work and my mom was always too busy to play with me. I thought when dad got remarried that they might have a baby but Lauren didn’t stick around long. She was a bitch.”

“I’m sorry,” Carlos placed a gentle hand on his thigh.

“I’m okay. I got used to it. And being the only child has its perks.”

“Yeah, you got everything you wanted and that’s why you’re a brat.”

“Guilty.”

The conversation died out for the last little bit of their drive. TK was humming softly to the radio and Carlos was struggling to keep his eyes off of him and on the road.

“Your parents house is so cute,” TK said when they turned into the driveway.

“It’s not a lot but it’s home.”

“I love it. I hated how big our apartment was just the two of us. I hate how big our house is sometimes. It feels empty. This feels like a home.”

Carlos was surprised at how much TK was opening up today. He attributed it to the good mood, and how Carlos had opened up in return.

His sisters were waiting for him on the porch and started jumping up and down excitedly when they saw the camaro turn into the driveway.

He had barely gotten out of the car when they pounced on him. TK stood back and watched as Carlos hugged the two older girls and swung the younger two around. He pulled all four of them close and started talking to them quietly in Spanish. He almost wished he could understand them, but he also felt a little bit like he was intruding on something private.

One girl, who looked the most like Carlos tugged on his sleeve and asked, “Is that your boyfriend?”

“Yes Victoria this is TK.”

Carlos didn’t exactly deny that he was his boyfriend, but he didn’t say yes either. It left TK with a funny feeling in his stomach. He shook it off and moved to stand in front of the little group. His eyes fell on the tallest of the sisters.

“Let me guess, you’re Sophia.” 

She nodded happily. He moved his gaze to the second girl, “And you’re Victoria. Your brother gave you away.”

He knelt in front of the two little girls, “And you’re Mia,” he looked to the girl with the curly hair. “Which makes you Zoe,” when the little girl grinned he could see the gap between her teeth.

“Girls, come inside and wash up.”

A shorter woman with waist length hair was standing on the porch. The girls all took off running, breezing past her and into the house.

“Well done with the names,” Carlos nudged TK’s shoulder. “You definitely earned brownie points with the girls.”

“Carlos.”

“Mama.”

He brushed past TK and took his mother into his arms. TK could have cried at how sweet they were.

“And you must be TK,” she swept him into a bone crushing hug that almost knocked the breath out of him.

“ _ Dios mio. Carlos  _ _ No te alimentan este muchacho ?” _

“I try my best mama.”

She reached up to pat TK’s face, “I made tamales, Carlos said they were your favorite.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Please call me Maria. And come inside, dinner is almost ready.”

“What did she say to you?’ TK muttered as they followed her inside.

“She asked me if I feed you.”

“You feed me too much.”

“You’re just so little,” he poked at TK’s ribs.

“Hey, not all of us can be solid muscle like you Hercules. Except maybe your mom, that woman is freakishly strong.”

“Knocked the breath out of you didn’t she?”

“Little bit.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Whenever people told him to make himself comfortable in their house, TK never really did. Except at Carlos’ house. He felt right at home with his loud, chaotic family. He laughed as the girls argued who got to sit by Carlos, who promised that whichever two girls didn’t sit beside him for dinner could sit beside him for cake. That left TK sitting opposite of him, between the remaining two girls. During dinner it was Mia and Zoe, who immediately latched on to him when he started talking about buttercup, begging to see pictures and hear stories. 

Carlos couldn’t keep the fond look off of his face watching Tk interact with his family. He could see him there years from now, with a kid of their own. But he wasn’t even his boyfriend, he wasn’t really anything and Carlos was too chicken shit to ask him what they really were to each other.

They stayed, talking and playing with the girls well past dark. Maria tried to talk them into staying the night, but Carlos insisted that the drive wasn’t long and that TK would have a shift tomorrow.

So they drove with the same soft rock station playing as background noise. Their bellies were full and the soft noise was making them sleepy.

“Don’t fall asleep driving,” TK said.

His head was leaned against the window and he looked so small and cute.

“I’m fine, I’m starting to think you won’t make it home.”

“Talk to me then. Keep me awake.”

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah I did. I really like your family. Do you think they liked me?”

“Yeah they did. Especially my mom, Mia and Zoe.”

“Good. I want them to like me.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because, your parents should like your boyfriend right?”

“I didn’t know that’s what we were.”

“I wasn’t sure either. But they all kept saying it and the more I heard it the more I liked the sound of it. I wanna be your boyfriend Carlos, if you want me.”

TK was suddenly shy, shrinking into himself.

“Of course I want you.”

“You have to ask.”

Carlos sighed dramatically and reached out to take his hand, “Tyler Kennedy Strand, will you be my boyfriend?”

“You used my full name, so I’m tempted to say no. But Carlos I should have asked your mom when your middle name is Reyes, yes. I will be your boyfriend.”

Carlos laughed and brought his hand up to his mouth to kiss it.

“Get some rest TK. I’ll wake you up when we get home.”


End file.
